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Cherokee County Townships
Afton Township History

Township Map
Formation
Afton Township was created by act of Board of Supervisors, September 6, 1869 and comprises congressional township 92-39. It is on the eastern l ine of the county, south of Spring, north of Pitcher, and east of Cherokee townships.

Early Settlers
The first to effect a settlement in what is now known as Afton Township were Daniel R. WHEELER and his two grown daughters, all of whom took up homesteads on section 32, in 1868. Mr. Wheeler's daughters' names were Miranda and Mary. The father and two daughters took their clams and built a dwelling (such as it was) which stood on the corners of the several pieces.

First settlers
E.D. COLMAN, John TERWILIGER, William CROUCH, John MAINE, Thomas HOSKKINS, Josiah ARMSTRONG, Asa ARMSTRONG, George W. BALDWIN, M. SMITH, A. GIFFORD, S. PLACE, William CLOVER, Solomon CLOVER, William WHIPPLE, John COLMAN, James RICHARDSON, John D. BLAKE, W.D. LATHROP, George FUNK, J.A. SANBORN, James. L. LONGACRE, Samuel SUTTON, George SUTTON, Samuel SEXTON, Daniel STEINHOFF, George W. BENSON, Jacob RICE, Abraham WARD.

Early County Population Numbers

First Events
Birth: a child born to Mr. and Mrs. NEWMAN in 1869
Death: the father of Daniel STEINHOFF in 1869
School: taught by Miss Mary WHEELER at her claim building in 1869.

Churches
Methodist Episcopal built in 1887

Cemeteries
Afton Cemetery
In 2007, the DAR donated a directory to the Afton cemetery grounds.
Immanuel Lutheran Cemetery

Geographics
Afton Township covers an area of 36.08 square miles (93.4 km2) and contains no incorporated settlements.
Afton Twp - WikiPedia


SOURCES: The township history was excerpted from Biographical History of Cherokee County. W. S. Dunbar & Co., 1889. The township map is from Plat Book of Cherokee County, Iowa, W.W. Hixon & Co.,  Rockford, IL., 1930

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 Page Updated 23 Apr 2023